Contribution from a Palisades resident whose family lost their home in the fire
For longtime residents of the Palisades, news of a fire breaking out in the Highlands is not unexpected. At that point, it was almost banal. To put this into perspective, I initially found out about the fire from a friend before hearing from my parents. She texted me in the late morning asking if my parents were all right – to which I answered, “why wouldn’t they be?” – only to hear that parts of the Palisades were being evacuated. When I finally reached my parents, they didn’t sound worried. They said they were keeping an eye on the situation due to the winds, but that they didn’t have plans to evacuate and hadn’t been asked. According to my parents and the neighbors they were in contact with, the consensus was that there was no way the fire would jump Sunset Boulevard. Even when evacuation orders did go out, my parents assumed they would be able to go back. My dad even stayed in the house for about an hour after receiving the order to watch TV.
Like many of my neighbors, my parents were not able to go back. In February, we were finally allowed to enter the Palisades to see the rubble of our home, where my parents had lived for thirty years. Growing up, my younger sister and I never knew anywhere else. While watching the news on January 7th, I saw the backdrop of my childhood engulfed in flames. My mom pulled up a video feed from a camera in our backyard. The video was loud, almost crunchy. I’m not sure if this was from the winds, the fire approaching, or both. The camera was occasionally obscured by large chunks of ash. I didn’t know what to do – really, there was nothing I could do. I kind of just stared at it. After about five minutes, the camera cut out. My backyard in front of a reddish black sky, blanketed in ash, is the last image I have of my childhood home.
The emotional toll is still heavy a year later, and I imagine it will be heavy for a long time. It is particularly salient as I continue to experience new “firsts.” The first holiday season without the house was grim. I remember early in December thinking, “I should call my mom to make sure we can drive around looking at Christmas lights once my sister comes to town,” and quickly realizing that was not an option. I remembered the ash I walked through earlier in the year and thought, which particles were the Christmas stockings my grandma got for my sister and I? Which were at one point the paper chain my dad made in childhood? If, God willing, I reach old age, I will have spent more time alive without my house than I did with it. I will have no childhood relics to pass on, no evidence of a significant portion of my life.
I still experience unsettling fleeting moments of delusion. Despite having donned a hazmat suit and stood around in the spot where my childhood bedroom used to be, I still feel that if I just drive over, everything will still be there.
There are many platitudes about going forward in the wake of the fire, about coming together as a community and rebuilding the neighborhoods that were lost. Rebuilding is not a reality that is attainable for everyone. Not all of this is something that can be addressed by the city. Insurance companies are running rampant with no meaningful regulation. Their behavior is a factor that has led to some of my neighbors selling their property despite wanting to rebuild.
Additionally, there was a lot of confusion and back and forth about what FEMA would provide or not provide. These are all issues that can only be addressed by the federal government. However, under President Trump, it is abundantly clear that we cannot rely on that necessary support. According to a press release from Governor Newson, as of December 5, 2025, the Trump Administration has neglected to send California any federal aid, leaving survivors unsupported.
This documented lack of federal support makes it all the more important to scrutinize our local elected officials as residents begin the arduous undertaking of rebuilding. Pacific Palisades has a distinct set of needs that the city needs to be prepared to meet. Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the Palisades, positions herself as a champion of the neighborhood. In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Park correctly identified the unique makeup of Pacific Palisades. While the Palisades certainly has a disproportionately higher share of wealthy homeowners, there are also plenty of middle and working class families. As such, ensuring that existing affordable housing is prioritized is essential to recovery. Though Park acknowledges their presence, and says they need to be supported, her record tells a different story.
Park has notably allied with developers throughout her political career. During her campaign in 2022, she received contributions from the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, a PAC for the Building Owners and Manager Association of Greater LA. She additionally received financial support from Douglas Emmett, a management firm notoriously responsible for a West Los Angeles apartment building catching fire twice in six years. This partnership has continued throughout her time in office. In the aftermath of the fires, Park introduced a motion to expand a proposal from Mayor Karen Bass that would exempt Palisadians from Measure ULA, colloquially known as the mansion tax, which taxes the same of properties valued above 5 million dollars. An exemption of ULA would benefit developers, but could endanger communities such as Tahitian Terrace, a rent controlled mobile home park.
Overdevelopment is a significant concern for many Palisadians. In the thirty-ish years since my parents moved here, the area has changed wildly. Many single story homes were purchased by developers, who jumped at the opportunity to build houses that stretch to the edges of the land they sit on. Driving through the neighborhood for the first time the following February, developers were advertising their services, right alongside the Church of Scientology and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Park is a vocal opponent of Senate Bill 9, which allows California homeowners to build duplexes on lots zoned for single family homes. She cites concerns of “opportunistic developers” who are taking advantage of the unthinkable. However, she has no qualm supporting the construction of new luxury properties. Should the developers continue to get their way, there is no way to ensure that affordable housing isn’t quietly replaced by megamansions. Going further, her allies have fiercely lobbied against SB549. This proposed legislation, proposed by California State Senator Ben Allen, who represents the Palisades, would allow fire victims to sell their land to a public agency that would rebuild it as affordable housing. The bill’s opponents are following the oldest play in the book: stoking racist and classist fears. For example, some critics say this will lead to “projects” in the Palisades. Steve Soboroff concisely explained the ramifications: “In the deeds, it used to say, ‘No Jews, no Blacks.’ What are they going to write now—‘No affordable housing’?”
The actions of Rick Caruso, a Los Angeles businessman and developer who ran a failed campaign for mayor in 2022, exemplify the outcomes of these policy decisions. In my opinion, overdevelopment in the Palisades skyrocketed once Caruso began developing the land, and converted the village into his own mini version of the grove. When I was a junior at Pali High, my AP Lang class was tasked with analyzing Caruso’s promotional video for the soon to be developed property. I remember our class pointing out that even in his initial rendering of the village, it appeared that his team neglected to animate a single person of color. He did not envision people of color patronizing his stores or enjoying his outdoor space. The Measure ULA exemption measure Park put forth was backed by Caruso’s PAC.
I will never forgive Caruso for his actions during the fire, in which he called in private fire crews for his property while letting homes and long-standing businesses burn around him. Those who defend Caruso’s actions claim that he has no obligation to protect the property that he does not own. In my opinion, this is yet another example of Caruso’s years of hypocritical and self serving behavior. During his campaign, he claimed that he would use his expertise as a developer to cut through bureaucratic red tape, which he saw as a major barrier to affordable housing. In the time before the campaign, and in the time since, I cannot think of a singular significant effort Caruso has made to put his funds towards affordable housing. Perhaps he is concerned that “projects” would decrease foot traffic to Erewhon.
It is laughable that Caruso, who clearly still has political aspirations, thinks that he can follow the same strategy of complaining about City Hall, claim he would approach the problem differently, and then do nothing meaningful to address it. More importantly, it is an insult to the voters’ intelligence and a slap in the face to the many Palisadians who supported him in his mayoral run. This is who Park aligns herself with. I do not see how one can reasonably claim to be the champion of the Palisades while aligning themselves with someone who had no qualms letting it burn, despite having ample resources to preserve it.
Communities are not defined by land or borders. They are defined by the people who live there. When I think of the community I lost in the Palisades, I think of my neighbors, who came from all walks of life. I think of the time I fell off my bike in middle school and how everyone who was out on the street came to help me. They were all people who knew me and my family by name. I think of the amazing educators at Pali High, many who lived in the Palisades themselves, who worked tirelessly to give me a quality education that changed the trajectory of my life by teaching me to ask questions, think critically, and live with kindness. I cannot consider any new version of the Palisades my home if the people who make it are not given meaningful opportunities to return. As the recovery process continues to unfold, I want to leave readers with this: rebuilding houses is one thing, rebuilding the Palisades is another.